Ocean Spray-Canomiks partnership uses A.I. to explore cranberry's biological efficacy
Canomiks' genomics, bioinformatics, and AI-based Product Superiority Platform is claimed to help innovate new formulations as well as validate, test, and certify the biological effect of functional ingredients and formulations. The A.I.-based technology tests cranberry polyphenols to demonstrate that these bioactives can positively influence genomic pathways responsible for modulating blood pressure and blood flow.
Ocean Spray provided concentrate and fruit extracts containing naturally occurring cranberry bioactives and Canomiks applied its technology to test and validate the efficacy of these components, finding that the cranberry's support of heart health and overall blood pressure maintenance pathways align with previous clinical trial results.
The new A.I.-derived data elucidates the potential modes of action and for unlocking and evaluating the hidden health elements of cranberries, said the companies in a release.
“This is an exciting initiative from our Emerging Science team intended to accelerate discovery research and study the benefits of bioactive compounds in the cranberries, supporting our belief that food is medicine and consuming a diet rich in plant bioactives, such as those found in cranberries, can help support health including benefitting heart health,” said Katy Galle, Senior Vice President of Research & Development at Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.
The relationship with Canomiks, through Ocean Spray's existing partnership with the incubator Plug and Play, enables the cranberry cooperative to further validate cranberry's biological efficacy.
“The area of food as medicine has been explored for many years and this research is principal in taking a step forward to making it a reality and inform future innovation from Ocean Spray,” said Dr. Leena Pradhan-Nabzdyk, CEO and co-founder of Canomiks. “We are thrilled to further this research with Ocean Spray and our work with Plug and Play.”
Investment in A.I.
Ocean Spray has also been collaborating with Brightseed and its A.I., Forager technology in order to analyze and profile the phytochemical structure of cranberries at a granular level, forming the fundamental basis of Ocean Spray's functional products going forward.
Bioactive components in cranberries were also identified that further established cranberry and cranberry ingredients' modulation of inflammation and immunity pathways.
